Method for identifying a show in a video filmed by a camera of a spectator

ABSTRACT

A method of identifying a show in a video that has been filmed by a spectator&#39;s camera includes selecting a color set to identify the show, recording, in a database, a show identifier associated with a code for the color set, before the show is filmed, inserting, within a scene in which the show is performed, a display-panel set, causing the display-panel set to display the color set without considering scene lighting, thereby raising a likelihood that the camera will capture the displayed color set, once the camera has begun filming a video of the scene, causing a tracer to download an image of the video, to search within the image for the color set associated by the database with the show identifier, and to respond to finding the color set by identifying the filmed show with the aid of the show identifier.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the national stage of international applicationPCT/FR2017/050004, filed on Jan. 3, 2017, which claims the benefit ofthe Feb. 12, 2016 priority date of French Application 1651137.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to content distribution and in particular, toprotection of rights in content.

BACKGROUND

A show is an event that runs in one or more scenes and that is performedbefore spectators. In some cases, a show requires performance artists orathletes. Examples of such shows are athletic events, concerts, andtheater. However, other types of shows do not require actualparticipants. Examples include sound and light shows.

A scene is where a show takes place and where a spectator is likely tohave an opportunity to film it with a camera. Examples of a sceneinclude an athletic field or an auditorium. Other examples include thearea from which fireworks can be seen, such as the area from whichfireworks are set off. In either case, there will be a feature that canbe used to support a display panel. An example of such a feature is aboulder, a tree, a post, a fence, a wall, or a vehicle.

Using a smartphone, a spectator can easily film a show and transmit theresulting film almost in real time to a great many third parties. Forexample, the film can be transmitted to a video-sharing platform thatallows third parties to download the film and see that images itcontains. As used herein, downloading refers both receiving a completefile containing the video and recording it in non-volatile memory forlater playback and to streaming.

The term film of course does not literally mean a piece of celluloid asit once did. The term film and its cognates is used to indicate thefunctional equivalent of film.

In many cases, distribution of recorded content is illegal because itinfringes copyright. To deter such illegal distribution, it is useful toprovide a way to identify a show that has been filmed on video.

SUMMARY

Therefore an object of the invention is to propose a method foridentifying a show in a video filmed by a spectator in which a markidentifying this show is inserted in the video without needing thecooperation of the spectator and while using a method to insert anddetect the mark that is simple to implement. In particular, the methoddescribed and claimed herein is a non-abstract method that avoids theneed to use a control camera to constantly adjust the readability of themark and that promotes a rapid reduction in the readability of the markin the filmed video as soon as the image capture point becomes moredistant from the point from where the mark is projected.

Since the display panel is located within the scene where the show to beidentified is performed, any video of the show filmed from a camera hasa high chance of including the displayed specific color or colorsregardless of the camera used. Thus, unless filming stops, the inlayingof the specific color or colors in the video filmed by the spectatorcannot be easily avoided.

The use of a display panel located within the filmed scene means thatthe characteristics of each color displayed in the scene can beprecisely controlled. In contrast to projecting just a mark, the use ofa display panel makes the characteristics of the specific color orcolors, such as those displayed, independent of the reflectivity orcolor of the elements of the scene. It is therefore no longer necessaryto provide a sensor to control the readability of the mark present inthe scene. This therefore greatly simplifies the implementation of themethod for identifying the show in the video.

Furthermore, the characteristics of a color displayed by a display paneland as filmed by a camera are independent of the position of this camerarelative to the display panel. Therefore, when the mark is beingsearched for in the images, it is not necessary to take into account apossible geometric deformation of the mark caused by the point of view.This also greatly simplifies the implementation of the identificationmethod.

The identification method can include one or more of the characteristicsof the dependent claims.

These embodiments of the identification method also exhibit thefollowing advantages:

One advantage is that counting the number of pixels for which the colormatches the specific color is a simple and effective method to reliablyindicate whether the specific color is present in an image. Hence, ashow can be identified in a video very quickly and almost in real time.

Another advantage is that providing tolerance limits when establishing amatch between the color of a pixel and the specific color makes theidentification method more robust against the sensitivity level ofphotodetectors of cameras used by the spectators. Cameras can beequipped with photodetectors that are more or less sensitive and more orless precise. These differences in precision and sensitivity result inthe fact that the values that code the specific color in an image filmedby a camera may not exactly match the values that code this samespecific color in the database.

Another advantage is that using specific colors to form a barcodeprovides for triggering the reading of this barcode only if, beforehand,those specific colors have been found in the downloaded image. Thus, thesame specific colors fulfill both a marker function to identify the showand a coding function for additional information in the image.

Yet another advantage is that displaying the specific color or colorsonly during very short active periods provides for making theimplementation of the method furtive and therefore not perceptible tothe naked eye of a human being.

Yet another advantage arises from the use of the display panel todisplay other information during inactive periods provides forfulfilling two different functions using the same display panel, i.e.the identification of a scene and the displaying of additionalinformation for the spectators.

In another aspect, the invention features an automatic and non-abstractmethod for interrupting the distribution of a video that can bedownloaded from a video-sharing platform. This method includesidentifying a predetermined show in the video that can be downloadedfrom the video sharing platform by implementing the non-abstract methoddescribed herein.

In another aspect, the invention features an electronic device fortracing a show in a video filmed by a camera of a spectator for theimplementation of the non-abstract method described herein.

Lastly, another subject of the invention is a tangible andnon-transitory information-recording medium containing instructions forthe implementation of any one of the methods described herein when thoseinstructions are executed by a microprocessor.

In general, methods and systems of all kinds can be implemented inabstract or non-abstract form. The non-abstract form exists in the realworld in tangible form and achieves real world results. The abstractform only exists in the unreal world and only achieves unreal worldresults.

The methods and systems described herein are all implemented innon-abstract form. To the extent the claims are construed to cover bothabstract and non-abstract implementations, the abstract implementationsare hereby disclaimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood upon reading the followingdescription given purely by way of non-limiting example and withreference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration, partly in perspective, of a systemfor the automatic interruption of the distribution of a video that canbe downloaded from a video sharing platform;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a mark used in the system of FIG.1; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an automatic method for interrupting thedistribution of a video that can be downloaded from a video sharingplatform.

In these figures, the same reference numbers are used to denote the samefeatures. Hereafter in this description, features and functions that arewell known to a person skilled in the art are not described in detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 represents a scene 2 in which a show is being performed for whichit is desired to control the distribution in video form. In thisparticular example, the scene 2 includes a soccer field 4, and stands 6surrounding the field 4. To simplify FIG. 1, only one section of thestands 6 has been represented. However, the scene 2 includes, oppositethe stands represented, other stands that are not represented. Tosimplify the drawing, the players on the field 4 have also not beenrepresented.

In this example, the show is a soccer match played only on the field 4.Thus, in this embodiment, when the show is identified, the scene 2 isalso identified and vice versa. The identifier of the show and theidentifier of the scene 2 are in this case linked to one another by abijective function. The terms identifier of the scene and identifier ofthe show are therefore equivalent. Therefore, in the description of thisparticular embodiment, they are used interchangeably.

During a soccer match, the stands 6 include a spectator 10 equipped witha camera 12. The spectator 10 uses this camera 12 to film the match asit takes place on the field 4.

The camera 12 is connected to a video-sharing platform 14 via a link 16and a wide-area network 18. The camera 12 is integrated with orconnected to a portable device 13 that a human being can readilytransport by hand. In some embodiments, the portable device 13 is asmartphone and the camera 12 is a camera integrated into this smartphoneand the link 16 is a wireless data-transmission link. In someembodiments, the link 16 complies with the UMTS (Universal MobileTelecommunications System) or CDMA 2000 standard for 3G phones, or withthe LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and WiMax standards for 4G phones.

The wide-area network 18 is typically a packet-switching network. Inmany cases, the is the World Wide Web or the Internet.

The video-sharing platform 14 is one that can stream the video beingfilmed by the camera 12 practically in real time to a large number ofthird-party terminals. The third-party terminals are terminals that areseparate from the portable device 13 and generally located severalkilometers from the spectator's camera 12. These third-party terminalsare connected to the video-sharing platform 14 via a wide-area networksuch as the wide-area network 18.

Such video-sharing platforms are well known. For example, here, thevideo-sharing platform 14 is the platform presently used under thecommercial name MEERKAT® or PERISCOPE®.

The video-sharing platform 14 includes one or more servers. Forsimplicity, FIG. 1 shows only one server. The server includes aprogrammable microprocessor 22 associated with a memory or with a groupof memories 24. The memory 24 includes instructions required toimplement the method of FIG. 3. The memory 24 can also store videofilmed by the camera 12.

To simplify FIG. 1, only one third-party terminal 20 has beenrepresented. The other third-party terminals are identical or similar tothe illustrated terminal 20.

The terminal 20 typically includes a screen 30 for displaying the videodistributed by the video-sharing platform 14 through the a wide-areanetwork 18, a programmable microprocessor 32, and a memory 34 containingthe instructions required to execute the method of FIG. 3 when they areexecuted by the microprocessor 32.

The broadcast of a match played on the field 2 can be subject topayment-based broadcasting rights. The spectator 10 who is filming thismatch and broadcasting it to the terminal 20 using the video-sharingplatform 14 illegally circumvents these payment-based rights.

In the case of shows such as sports events, it is therefore important toput an end to the illegal distribution of the video filmed by the camera12 and to do so in real time, while the event is still taking place. Asused herein, real time denotes the fact that the illegal distribution ofthis video must be brought to an end as quickly as possible and, inparticular, at least before the end of the show. This is because, atleast in the case of athletic events, the illegal distribution after theend of the event attracts less interest from the users of thethird-party terminals 20, primarily because one already knows who wonthe event. Conversely, if the video filmed by the camera 12 isdistributed in real time by the video-sharing platform 14, the illegaloffering seriously competes with the legal offering.

An automatic interrupter 40 for interrupting the distribution of a videofilmed by a spectator is described herein in the context of a soccermatch played on the field 4. However, the teaching given in thisparticular case can easily be replicated to prevent the distribution ofother shows, for example those performed simultaneously, in otherscenes.

The interrupter 40 includes a show identifier 42 for identifying a showin a video distributed by the video-sharing platform 14. The showidentifier 42 includes a tracer 44 for tracing videos filmed byspectators and a display-panel set that comprises one or more displaypanels 46. These display panels 46 are controllable.

Each display panel 46 includes a screen 48 divided into a multitude ofpixels. Typically, the screen 48 has more than 100 pixels, more than1000 pixels, or more than 10,000 pixels. Each pixel displays one colorat a time chosen from among a large number of possible visible colors.The number of possible colors is typically greater than 100, 1,000, or10,000. Each possible color is coded by a set of values. A usefulencoding system for encoding color is the RGB (Red Green Blue) codingsystem in which a triplet of values, RGB, defines each color.

Each display panel 46 also includes an electronic control unit 50capable of receiving a color mark to display, and, in response, ofcommanding the pixels of the screen 48 to display the received mark. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the control unit 50 connects to the tracer44 via the a wide-area network 18 to receive the mark to be displayed.

Preferably, the screen 48 exhibits a wide horizontal opening angle. Thisopening has a horizontal opening angle that defines an angle between thescreen's central axis and that ray that is most inclined relative to thescreen's central axis. The central axis is that axis that isperpendicular to the screen 48 and that passes through the screen'sgeometric center. The ray is emitted by a pixel of the screen 48 andcontained in a horizontal plane containing the central axis. In atypical case, the horizontal opening angle is greater than 30° andpreferably greater than 45° or 60°.

The screen 48 also has a wide vertical opening angle. The verticalopening angle is an angle between the screen's central axis and the raythat is the most inclined relative to this central axis, that is emittedby a pixel of the screen 48, and that is contained in a vertical planecontaining the central axis. Typically, the vertical opening angle isgreater than or equal to 25°, or 45°, or 60°.

The display surface area of the screen 48 is large. In some embodiments,it is larger than half a square-meter. In others, it is larger than asquare meter, two square-meters, or three square-meters.

The display panels 46 are arranged within the scene 2 such that,regardless of the position of the spectator 10 inside the stands 6, inmore than 10% or 25% or 50% of the images filmed using the camera 12,the combination of the surface areas of the screens 48 in these filmedimages represents more than 0.5% and, preferably, more than 1% or 5% ofthe surface area of this image. In some embodiments, the display panels46 are arranged all around the field 4 and are adjoining, one with theother.

In the illustrated embodiment, the display panels 46 are chosen fromamong the display panels already existing in the scene 2. For example,the display panels 46 are the conventional advertising display panels 46located on the periphery of the field 4.

The tracer 44 controls the display panels 46 in order to display a colormark for identifying, simply and rapidly, the scene 2 in the videosfilmed by the spectators.

To achieve this, the tracer 44 includes a database 52 containing foreach different show to be identified, an identifier, coding values, andtolerance limits.

The identifier identifies the show and thus provides a way tounambiguously distinguishing one show from other shows performedsimultaneously in other scenes in which other display panels 46 are alsoinstalled.

The coding values code each specific color associated with theidentified show. There may be more than one such specific color. The setof one or more specific colors is referred to as a “color set.”

The tolerance limits include upper or lower tolerance limits for each ofthe values coding each specific color.

In the embodiment described herein, since the colors are coded with RGBcoding, color coordinates Ri, Gi, Bi code the specific color CSi, wherethe index i is the identifier of the specific color. For these threecolor coordinates Ri, Gi, Bi, the expressions MhRi, MbRi, MhGi, MbGi,MhBi, and MbBi denote the upper and lower limits, respectively, for eachof these values.

The tracer 44 is also capable of downloading images of videosdistributed by the video-sharing platform 14 as well as commanding, inresponse, the video-sharing platform 14. To do so, the tracer 44connects to the video-sharing platform 14 via, for example, thewide-area network 18.

Typically, the tracer 44 is a server that includes a programmablemicroprocessor 54 and a memory 56. The memory 56 contains theinstructions required to execute the method of FIG. 3. In theillustrated embodiment, the memory 56 also contains the database 52.

FIG. 2 represents an example of a color mark 60 capable of beingdisplayed by a screen 48 to identify the scene 2. In this embodiment,only first and second specific colors, CS1, CS2 form the color mark 60.Furthermore, in this particular example, the first and second colorsCS1, CS2 are juxtaposed, in an alternating manner, in any direction X,for example horizontal. In the particular embodiment shown the colormark 60 includes first bars 62 of a first uniform color CS1 and secondbars 64 of a second uniform color CS2. The first bars 62 and second bars64 are vertical bars.

The first and second bars 62 and 64 are arranged one immediately besidethe other in any direction X by alternating one first bar 62 with onesecond bar 64 to form a one-dimensional barcode. The width and positionof each of the first bars 62 and the second bars 64 are chosen so as tocode additional information. The additional information can be anyinformation, preferably other than the identifier of the show or of thescene 2. Examples of additional information include the date and time atwhich this color mark 60 was been displayed. Additional information canalso be information about the nature of the show or the name of the showpresently performed in the scene 2.

The operation of the interrupter 40 will now be described in more detailwith reference to the method of FIG. 3.

Initially, during a first step 78, the display panels 46 are inserted inthe scene 2.

Then, during a second step 80, a color mark 60 suitable for identifyingthe show performed in the scene 2 is obtained. This color mark 60uniquely identifies this show from among the multitude of showsperformed simultaneously in other scenes that are geographicallyseparate from the scene 2 and where the identification method describedhere is also implemented.

Hereafter, it is considered that it is the color mark 60 that isobtained during the second step 80 to identify the soccer match playedon the field 4.

To obtain the color mark 60, the first and second specific colors CS1,CS2 are first selected from among a set of possible colors that can bedisplayed by the display panels 46 and that are capable of beingcaptured by the camera 12. This combination of colors is selected so asto allow the scene 2, and therefore the show running therein, to beidentified by the tracer 44.

Preferably, it is the tracer 44 that automatically selects the first andsecond specific colors CS1, CS2 from among a set of colors that areavailable and that can be displayed by the display panels 46. In doingso, the tracer 44 also takes into account the specific colors alreadyused to identify shows other than the one that is running in the scene2. This can be achieved by taking into account the content of thedatabase 52.

In some embodiments, the tracer 44 takes account of prohibited colorsfrom a predetermined list of prohibited colors. The prohibited colorsare colors that are inappropriate for distinguishing one scene 2 fromanother. For example, for the case in which several scenes are soccerfields, prohibited colors would include shades of green that match thecolors of those fields.

For each available color, the tracer 44 has color coordinates Ri, Gi andBi that code that color. Thus, during the second step 80, the tracer 44selects the color coordinates R1, G1, B1 that code the first specificcolor CS1 and the color coordinates R2, G2, B2 that code the secondspecific color CS2.

During the second step 80, for each color coordinate Ri, Gi, Bi, thetracer 44 also automatically selects tolerance limits.

For example, for the color coordinate Ri, the tracer 44 selects an upperlimit MhRi and a lower limit MbRi. The upper and lower limits MhRi, MbRiare chosen to cause each tolerance limit to be less than 10%, 5%, or 1%of the amplitude of the range of possible values for the value Ri.Preferably, each tolerance limit is also greater than 0.1% or 0.5% ofthe amplitude of the range of possible values for the value Ri.

In the embodiment described herein, the limits MhG1, MbG1 for the valueG1 and the limits MhB1 and MbB1 for the value B1 are chosen in a manneridentical to that which has been described for the limits MhRi and MbRi.For simplification, in this case, the limits MhR1, MhG1, MhB1, MbR1,MbG1 and MbB1 are all equal. The limits MhR2, MhG2, MhB2, MbR2, MbG2 andMbB2 for the values R2, G2 and B2, which code the second specific colorCS2 are selected in the same way.

During a third step 82, the first and second specific colors CS1, CS2selected during the second step 80 are recorded in the database 52associated with an identifier of the scene 2. More specifically, thetracer 44 records, in the database 52, the values R1, G1, B1 and R2, G2,B2 as well as the tolerance limits selected during the second step 80for each of these values.

Then, during a fourth step 84, while the match is running and duringeach active period, the tracer 44 commands the display panels 46 therebycausing each of them to simultaneously display the color mark 60 and todo so continuously over the whole duration of the active period. Theduration of the active period is sufficiently long to make it verylikely that at least one of the images filmed by the camera 12 willinclude the color mark 60. Embodiments include those in which theduration of the active period is greater than or equal to 0.03 seconds,0.05 seconds, or 0.1 seconds.

The active period is sufficiently fleeting so that the display of thecolor mark 60 remains furtive, i.e. undetectable to the naked eye of aspectator. Embodiments thus include cases in which the duration of theactive period is chosen to be less than 0.5 seconds and preferably lessthan 0.3 seconds or 0.2 seconds. In some embodiments, the duration ofthe active period is within ±15% of 0.1 seconds.

Inactive periods separate active periods from one another. During aninactive period, the display panels 46 do not display the color mark 60or any other mark capable of allowing the scene 2 to be identified.

In this embodiment, during a fifth step 86, during each inactive period,the tracer 44 commands the display panels 46 to display information forthe spectators. This information does not include a color mark 60. Forexample, the display panels 46 are used during inactive periods todisplay advertising. For this information to be visible andcomprehensible by the spectators, the duration of the inactive period isrelatively long. In some embodiments, the duration of the inactiveperiod exceeds one second, twenty seconds, thirty seconds, or even oneminute. In the embodiment described herein, the duration of the inactiveperiod is chosen to be two seconds.

The tracer 44 continues to repeat the fourth and fifth steps 84, 86 overthe match's entire duration.

In parallel, during a sixth step 90, the spectator's camera 12 films thematch and distributes the video thus filmed via the video-sharingplatform 14. Given that the display panels 46 are spread out all aroundthe field 4, regardless of the spectator's position, it is almostinevitable that at least some if not numerous images of the video willinclude display panels 46.

In parallel with the fourth and fifth steps 84, 86 and with the sixthstep 90, the tracer 44 executes a seventh step 100 that includesdownloading, at predetermined intervals, images from the various videosavailable on the video-sharing platform 14. For example, for each videoavailable, the tracer 44 downloads a sequence of the video. Thissequence has a duration that is longer than the inactive period. As aresult, it is almost certain that if one of the display panels 46 isfound continuously in the optical axis of the camera 12, then thedownloaded sequence will include at least one image in which the colormark 60 is apparent. This step provides a basis for quickly putting anend to the illegal distribution of the video of the match played on thefield 4,

Then, during an eighth step 102, the tracer 44 inspects each image ofeach downloaded sequence to determined whether the color mark 60 ispresent in that image.

For example, for this purpose, the eighth step 102 includes a firstoperation 104 during which the tracer 44 maintains a pixel count Np thatrepresents the number of pixels in the image that have a color thatmatches the first specific color CS1. To do so, the tracer 44 compareseach triplet (Rp, Gp, Bp) that codes the pixel's color with the ranges[R1−MbR1; R1+MhR1], [G1−MbG1; G1+MhG1] and [B1−MbB1; B1+MhB1]respectively. If each of the color coordinate Rp, Gp, Bp is locatedwithin the intended range, then the tracer 44 increments the pixel countNp by one. Otherwise, the tracer 44 leaves the pixel count Np alone.

Then, once it has run through all the pixels of the downloaded image,during a second operation 106 of the eighth step 102, the tracer 44compares the pixel count Np with a predetermined first threshold S1. Insome embodiments, the tracer 44 does so by comparing the ratio100(Np/PT) with the first threshold S1, where PT is the total number ofpixels in the downloaded image. Embodiments include those in which thethreshold S1 is greater than or equal to 0.5%, those in which it isgreater than or equal to 1%, and those in which it is greater than orequal to 5%.

If the ratio 100(Np/PT) is less than the first threshold S1, then thetracer 44 indicates that the first specific color CS1 has not been foundin the downloaded image. In that case, the method goes straight back tothe first operation 104 to process the next image in the downloadedsequence.

Otherwise, i.e. if the ratio 100(Np/PT) exceeds the first threshold S1,the tracer 44 executes a third operation 110 in which it indicates thatthe first specific color CS1 has been found in the downloaded image. Inthat case, first through third operations 104-110 are repeated but forthe second specific color CS2. In the case of the second specific colorCS2, the tracer 44 replaces the first threshold S1 with a predeterminedsecond threshold S2 that is greater than or equal to 0.5% or 1% or 5%.The second threshold S2 is not necessarily equal to the first thresholdS1.

At the end of the eighth step 102, if the two specific colors CS1 andCS2 have been found in the downloaded image, the tracer 44 executes aninth step 112 in which it identifies that the filmed scene is the scene2. To do so, the tracer 44 searches the database 52 for the identifierassociated with the first and second specific colors CS1 and CS2. If thescene 2 is identified, during ninth step 112, the tracer 44 also readsand extracts additional information coded in the barcode of the colormark 60. This extracted additional information is then used and/orstored by the tracer 44 for later automatic processing.

During a tenth step 114, as soon as the show has been identified, thetracer 44 immediately transmits to the video-sharing platform 14 acommand to interrupt the distribution of this video.

During an eleventh step 116, in response to having received theinterruption command, the video-sharing platform 14 immediately suspendsthe distribution of this video. For example, the video-sharing platform14 stops and prevents any streaming broadcast of this video to terminalssuch as the terminals 20.

If the set of images of the video sequence has been processed asdescribed previously, the tracer 44 downloads a new video sequence fromthe video-sharing platform 14 and processes it as described above.

Many other embodiments are possible.

For example, the features to identify the video and to prevent itsdistribution by the video-sharing platform 14 have been described herefor the particular case in which they are both implemented within thesame tracer 44.

In some embodiments, only the features for identifying the video areimplemented in the tracer 44 and the features to prevent thedistribution of a video identified by the tracer 44 are then implementedin another device that is separate from the tracer 44 but connected toit, for example, via the a wide-area network 18.

In other embodiments, the stands 6 do not surround the field 4. In yetother embodiments, the scene 2 does not include stands 6.

The show identifier 42 for identifying the scene 2 can be used forpurposes other than those involving preventing the distribution of anidentified video.

In some embodiments, the show identifier 42 is incorporated into asystem that automatically associates with the video additionalinformation on the show identified in this video. In some embodiments,the additional information is information on the geographic placing ofthe show, its history, or any other information specific to this show.When the show identifier 42 is used for purposes other than to interruptthe distribution of a video from the video-sharing platform 14, it isnot necessarily connected to such a platform and can download the videofrom any source.

Other embodiments of the portable device 13 are possible. For example,in some embodiments, the portable device 13 may be a portable computerequipped with a web cam.

Likewise, other embodiments of the video-sharing platform 14 arepossible. For example, in some embodiments, the video-sharing platform14 is the platform used under the commercial name LIVESTREAM™ orUSTREAM™ or SNAPCHAT™.

The display panels 46 can be of different forms. For example, in aparticular embodiment, the display panel 46 is in the form of a verticalcolumn which displays the specific color or the juxtaposition ofspecific colors over its entire horizontal periphery. Thus, this displaypanel 46 exhibits a horizontal opening angle of 360°. In anotherembodiment, the display panel 46 is that used to display the scores or agiant screen. The display panel 46 can also include a controllablewinder suitable for winding up and, alternately, unwinding a poster inorder to make this poster visible and, alternately, to mask it. In thatcase, a poster containing the color mark 60 is installed in this displaypanel 46 beforehand.

The identification device can be simplified. For example, it can includeonly one display panel 46.

Many other embodiments are possible for the color mark 60. For example,the color mark 60 can be replaced by a juxtaposition, not of simply twocolors but, on the other hand, of three or four or at least fivespecific colors. For the case in which the color mark 60 includesseveral specific colors, it is possible to compare the sum of the pixelcounts Np counted for each of these specific colors with a singlethreshold and to indicate that the color mark 60 is found in the imageif this sum exceeds this threshold.

When the color mark 60 includes several specific colors, it is alsopossible to indicate that the color mark 60 is found in the downloadedimage as soon as the pixel count Np counted for only one of thesespecific colors exceeds the predetermined threshold associated with thisspecific color.

In a simplified embodiment, only one specific color is used to identifythe show and not a juxtaposition of specific colors.

For the case in which only one specific color CS1 is used to identifythe scene 2, the tracer 44 can even so be programmed to display abarcode using at least two colors CS2 and CS3. Each of the values codingthese colors CS2 and CS3 is then chosen to be within the ranges[R1−MbR1; R1+MhR1], [G1−MbG1; G1+MhG1] and [B1−MbB1; B1+MhB1]. However,the colors CS2 and CS3 are slightly different from one another, therebyenabling a barcode to be produced while using only colors thatcorrespond to one and the same specific color CS1. Thus, due totolerance limits, to identify the show, these two colors CS2 and CS3 areprocessed as one and the same specific color CS1. On the other hand,during operation 112, an additional item of information coded by the useof these colors CS2 and CS3 can still be read in the downloaded image.

In other embodiments, the tolerance limits on each specific color arenot used and can be omitted.

In another embodiment, the color mark 60 takes the form of a barcode,not a one-dimensional one as described with reference to FIG. 2, but atwo-dimensional one. In that case, the color mark 60 takes the form of aQR code.

In a simplified embodiment, the color mark 60 does not code anyadditional information. In that case, the color mark 60 does not need totake the form of a barcode. For example, the color mark 60 can take theform of a checkerboard, the boxes of which are, alternately, of a firstand a second specific color. When the color mark 60 does not form abarcode, the operation to read such a barcode is omitted.

The color mark 60 has been described for the particular case in whichthe coding of the colors is RGB coding. However other color codingschemes are possible. For example, the following coding schemes can beused in place of RGB coding: RGBA (Red Green Blue Alpha) coding, Y′CbCrcoding, HSB (Hue Saturation Brightness) coding, and HSL (Hue SaturationLightness) coding.

A show can be performed over a group of several scenes geographically ata distance from one another, and for which it is desired to be able toprevent the distribution of all videos filmed in any one of thesescenes. In this case, the same color mark 60 is used on each of thesescenes. To prevent the distribution of a video of this show, it is notnecessary to identify precisely the scene 2 from among the group ofscenes of this group where this video has been filmed. In that case, thecolor mark 60 does not identify a specific scene 2 but only the show.Thus, in this embodiment, the show identifier and the scene identifierare not interchangeable. By way of illustration, such a show can be theOlympic Games which take place in a multitude of stadiums, and thereforein a multitude of different scenes.

During each active period, the displayed color mark 60 is notnecessarily the same as the color mark 60 displayed during a previousactive period. In some embodiments, different marks are displayed oneafter the other in a predetermined order. In that case, the database 52associates with each of these different marks the same show identifier.In other practices, before each active period, the color mark 60 that isto be displayed is drawn randomly from a predetermined list containingseveral different marks capable of being displayed to identify the sameshow. The various marks displayed in the same scene 2 are hencedistinguished, for example, visually from one another by their form orby their color.

Likewise, the place where the color mark 60 is displayed can also bemodified from one active period to the next. For example, it is possibleto first display the color mark 60 once to the right of the screen 48and then once to the left of this screen 48. It is also possible todisplay alternately on a first display device then, during the nextactive period, on a second display device located at a different placein the scene 2.

The displaying of the color mark 60 can be triggered automatically ormanually. In some practices, an operator triggers display of the colormark 60 by manually pressing a button. Conversely, as describedpreviously, the triggering of the active period can be an automaticevent triggered periodically. In another embodiment, the duration ofinactive periods is drawn randomly. This results in aperiodic display ofthe color mark 60.

In another embodiment, the implementation of the identification methodis not made furtive. For example, in this case, the active period islonger than one second, ten seconds, or one minute. In anotherembodiment, inactive periods are omitted and only one active period isused. This single active period hence lasts as long as theidentification method is implemented.

During inactive periods, the displaying of information by the displaypanels 46 can be omitted. For example, during inactive periods, thedisplay panels 46 are off.

The second step 80 and the third step 82 can be carried out differently.For example, it is also possible to prefill the database 52 with a largenumber of pre-recorded distinct marks and to then assign one of thesemarks to the scene 2. To that end, the identifier of the scene 2 isassociated with this color mark 60 in the database 52.

In another embodiment, the second step 80 includes the obtaining of animage of the captured scene 2, for example, before the show is performedtherein. Next, this image is analyzed to identify the colors present inthis image. Then, during the second step 80, the tracer 44 automaticallyselects, as a specific color, one or more colors that are not present inthe analyzed image or that represent less than 1% or 0.5% of the pixelsof the analyzed image.

The process of searching for a color mark 60 can be carried out in a waythat differs from counting only pixels whose color matches the specificcolor or colors. One alternative practice includes constructing ahistogram of the colors of the downloaded image by counting the pixelsof each color. This histogram indicates, for each color of the image,the number of pixels having that color. Having constructed such ahistogram, it becomes possible to then compare the height of the barcorresponding to the specific color sought with the predeterminedthreshold. If the bar is higher than the predetermined threshold, thetracer 44 indicates that the specific color has been found in the image.Otherwise, the tracer 44 indicates that this specific color has not beenfound in this image.

During the fourth step 84, it is also possible to cause the color mark60 to be displayed on only a limited number of display panels 46 thatare present in the scene 2.

In another embodiment, the predetermined threshold is an absolute numberof pixels rather than a percentage. In that case, the predeterminedthreshold is greater than or equal to one pixel and, preferably, greaterthan five or ten pixels and, advantageously, greater than 10,000,20,000, 80,000, 160,000, 800,000 or 2,400,000 pixels. During the thirdoperation 110, it is therefore the pixel count Np that is directlycompared with this predetermined threshold.

The searching can also include a prior operation for identifying thoseareas of the image that would be capable of containing the specificcolors sought followed by searching for the specific color only withinthose selected areas. For example, if the display panel 46 wererectangular, the tracer 44 would select, in the downloaded image, onlythose areas that comprise a quadrilateral.

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, whatis claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is: 1-10. (canceled) 11.A method comprising identifying a show in a video that has been filmedby a spectator's camera, wherein said method comprises executing a firststep, a second step, a third step, a fourth step, and a fifth step,wherein said first step comprises selecting a color set, wherein saidcolor set comprises at least one specific color to identify said show,wherein said at least one specific color is selected from a set ofpossible colors, wherein each color in said set of possible colors issuitable for being captured by said camera, wherein said second stepcomprises recording, in a database, a show identifier of said showassociated with values that code said color set, wherein said third stepcomprises, before said show is filmed by said camera, inserting, withina scene in which said show is performed, a display-panel set, whereinsaid display-panel set comprises at least one controllable display panelthat is suitable for displaying said color set, wherein said fourth stepcomprises causing said display-panel set to display said color setwithout considering scene lighting, thereby raising a likelihood thatsaid camera will capture said displayed color set, wherein said fifthstep comprises, once said camera has begun filming a video of saidscene, causing a tracer to download at least one image of said video,causing said tracer to search within said image for said color setassociated by said database with said show identifier, and causing saidtracer to respond to finding said color set by identifying said filmedshow with the aid of said show identifier, and wherein said tracercomprises an electronic device for tracing said show.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein causing said tracer to search within said image forsaid color set comprises, for each specific color associated, by saiddatabase, with said identifier, counting the number of pixels of saiddownloaded image for which said color matches said specific color,thereby obtaining a pixel count, comparing said pixel count with apredetermined threshold, and indicating that said specific color hasbeen found in said downloaded image only if said pixel count exceedssaid predetermined threshold.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising incrementing said pixel count for a particular pixel only ifa color of said particular pixel is within a range of values thatsurrounds a value that is coded for one of said specific colors, whereinsaid range extends from a lower tolerance to an upper tolerance, whereinsaid lower and upper tolerances are each greater than 0.1% of anamplitude of a range of possible values for said value that codes saidone of said specific colors.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein, saidfirst step comprises selecting several specific colors are selected toidentify said show, wherein said fourth step comprises displaying saidspecific colors juxtaposed with one another so as to form a barcode inwhich additional information is encoded, said method further comprising,only if said scene is identified in said downloaded image, causing saidtracing device to read said bar code and to extract additionalinformation from said bar code, wherein said bar code is aone-dimensional bar code.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein, saidfirst step comprises selecting several specific colors are selected toidentify said show, wherein said fourth step comprises displaying saidspecific colors juxtaposed with one another so as to form a barcode inwhich additional information is encoded, said method further comprising,only if said scene is identified in said downloaded image, causing saidtracing device to read said bar code and to extract additionalinformation from said bar code, wherein said bar code is atwo-dimensional bar code.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein causingsaid display-panel set to display said color set comprises causing saiddisplay to occur only during successive active periods and, betweensuccessive active periods, suppressing display of said color set by saiddisplay-panel set, thereby causing active periods to be separated fromeach other by inactive periods.
 17. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising selecting said inactive periods to last for at least onesecond.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising choosing aduration of each active period to be between 0.05 seconds and 0.5seconds.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising, during saidinactive periods causing said display-panel set to display informationto spectators, wherein said information is information from whichidentification of said show is not possible.
 20. The method of claim 11,further comprising automatically interrupting distribution of a videothat can be downloaded from a video-sharing platform, wherein saidmethod comprises, after having caused said tracer to respond to findingsaid color set by identifying said filmed show, detecting said show insaid video, and, in response, automatically transmitting, to saidvideo-sharing platform, an instruction to interrupt distribution of saidvideo, wherein, in response to said instruction, said video-sharingplatform prevents downloading of said video.
 21. An apparatus fortracing a show in a video filmed by a spectator's camera, said apparatuscomprising a microprocessor and a memory, wherein said memory includes adatabase, wherein said database comprises identifiers of shows, whereineach identifier is associated with values that code a color set selectedto identify said show, wherein said color set comprises one or morespecific colors, wherein said microprocessor is programmed to downloadat least one image of said video, to search, in said downloaded image,for said color set and, if said color set is found in said downloadedimage, to identify said show with the aid of said show identifierassociated by said database with said color set.
 22. A manufacturecomprising a tangible and non-transitory information-recording mediumhaving, encoded thereon, instructions that cause a data-processingsystem to identify a show in a video that has been filmed by aspectator's camera, wherein said method comprises executing a firststep, a second step, a third step, a fourth step, and a fifth step,wherein said first step comprises selecting a color set that comprisesat least one specific color to identify said show, said at least onespecific color having been selected from a set of possible colors, eachof which is suitable for being captured by said camera, wherein saidsecond step comprises recording, in a database, a show identifier ofsaid show associated with values that code said color set, wherein saidthird step comprises, before said show is filmed by said camera,inserting, within a scene in which said show is performed, adisplay-panel set that comprises at least one controllable display panelthat is suitable for displaying said color set, wherein said fourth stepcomprises causing said display-panel set to display said color setwithout considering scene lighting, thereby raising a likelihood thatsaid camera will capture said displayed color set, wherein said fifthstep comprises, once said camera has begun filming a video of saidscene, causing a tracer to download at least one image of said video,causing said tracer to search within said image for said color setassociated by said database with said show identifier, and causing saidtracer to respond to finding said color set by identifying said filmedshow with the aid of said show identifier.